Sprint tells high-maintenance customers to screw off

Thunder22 · #1 07-09-2007, 08:51 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288635,00.html

Sprint Nextel Corp (S), which recently launched an advertising campaign to attract new customers, is disconnecting more than 1,000 subscribers for calling its customer service lines too often and making what the company called unreasonable requests.

The No. 3 U.S. wireless provider with 53 million customers said Monday it started sending service termination letters on June 25. Sprint said the cancellations involved 1,000 to 1,200 customers who had called the company about 40,000 times a month in total.

"These customers were calling to a degree that we felt was excessive," said Sprint spokeswoman Roni Singleton, adding the company needed to cull its customer base to improve services.

"In some cases they were calling customer care hundreds of times a month for a period of six to 12 months on the same issues even after we felt those issues had been resolved," she said.

Singleton, noting that mass cancellation letters were not routine, said this call volume was 40 to 50 times more than average customer monthly calls. She would not say how often customers can call before being deemed too demanding.

The company also declined to say what percentage of monthly service calls the 40,000 figure represented.

(Story continues below)

Sponsored Links

LeMansX5 · #2 07-09-2007, 08:59 PM

Great! now I know what to do if I have to get out of 2-year contract.

PersonaNonGrata · #3 07-09-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeMansX5

Great! now I know what to do if I have to get out of 2-year contract.

We were joking about the same thing today as a friend is wanting to get out of his Verizon contract without paying the ETF. Start dialing!

I have been dealing with Sprint's "customer service" quite a bit lately and I must say unequivocally that it blows in big way. They have mostly been nice but totally clueless and powerless to do anything. The CSR's either don't know about how their own company works and the programs and promos running or they just don't give a crap. God forbid you get an offshore call center as I have three times last week and spend most of the call asking them to repeat what they said over and over.

Sprint's reputation for poor CS is not surprising as I confirmed it for myself. I finally got some satisfaction after calling the corporate HQ today. It should never have to come to that for a customer to get some help.

rebound · #4 07-09-2007, 10:35 PM

Fortunately, I told them to screw off 18 mos ago...

noncom23 · #5 07-10-2007, 10:28 AM

Tried Sprint on the 2week trial thing. Worse connection I ever had.
They were good about ending the contract though.

jwilburn · #6 07-10-2007, 11:35 AM

Sprint's CS sucks. I had a long list of Rep's names, numbers, and call logs from when I would call each month to have the same issue taken care of again and again. Only company that is worse is Dell.

Meiac09 · #7 07-10-2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwilburn

Sprint's CS sucks. I had a long list of Rep's names, numbers, and call logs from when I would call each month to have the same issue taken care of again and again. Only company that is worse is Dell.

Eh, not as bad as Time Warner.
Their CS Line hasn't worked for a week. Probably because their digital phone is out (not a suprise)

blondboinsd · #8 07-10-2007, 11:58 AM

With their reliability and cell service I'd be calling everyday! They seriously blow here and I can't STAND those stupid Push to talk nextels, they drive me insane

statdoc · #9 07-10-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blondboinsd

With their reliability and cell service I'd be calling everyday! They seriously blow here and I can't STAND those stupid Push to talk nextels, they drive me insane

Nextel reliability and service in my area is excellent. Some of us have to use them due to job issues. I am involved with local EMS and law enforcement, and they all use Nextel. The PTT feature is pretty sweet to get each other quickly. And, you know it can be switched over to earphone mode, rather than "loud enough to hear at the other end of the mall" mode.

Meiac09 · #10 07-10-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by statdoc

And, you know it can be switched over to earphone mode, rather than "loud enough to hear at the other end of the mall" mode.

I think BBSD was referring to the fact that the most noticeable users (the ones who don't do that) choose to leave it on loud "I want to sound important arranging my next crack binge / other highly classy conversation" mode.

Sponsored Links